Kenya Kiamaina

Established in 1974, Kiamaina is one of four washing stations (or factories as they are known in Kenya) owned by the forward-thinking Kiama Coffee Farmers’ Cooperative Society (FCS). Led by Purity Wanjiku Muriuki – the first female Factory Manager in Kiama FCS — Kiamaina supports some 1,960 of the cooperative’s members. Cooperative members who deliver to Kiamaina have small farms close by that sit at an average elevation of 1,750 – 1,850 meters above sea level. The region is defined by its bright red, nutrient rich volcanic soil and this combined with the cool climate a contributes to the outstanding quality of coffee that is produced here. Contributing farmers usually live within a three kilometre radius of the factory, and often deliver by foot, bicycle or motorcycle. Because processing begins at 3:00 PM sharp, most contributors start delivering their crop from 10:00 AM, though this can extend into the afternoon at the peak of the harvest. Upon delivery, farmers receive an initial advance payment for their cherry, with the full payment completed when the coffee is sold. At this stage, if Kiama secures a good price for the coffee (either through direct sale or at auction) farmers also benefit from a better price. Both the tracking of volumes delivered and payments are done digitally, to streamline the payment process.